To Cage A Bird
by maaya-ssi
Summary: AU — Okita Sougo was not supposed to be in love with a young, reckless woman. But he was.
1. Foreword

**Fandom:** Gintama

 **Pairing:** Okita Sougo X Kagura

 **Rating:** T

 **Summary:** (GANGSTER!AU) Okita Sougo is the shit. He has good looks, has great skills and is a sadistic bastard who is contented with his job of being the Shinsengumi's first division captain. He thinks he's the greatest and loves himself more than anyone else, until he meets Kagura, a feisty member of the Yato-clan, the strongest and the most influential organization in the country.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Gintama.

 **Author's Note:** Hi! This is maaya-ssi, and I will be writing a fanfiction of Gintama (which will also be my very first fanfic, by the way). English is not my first language so please so expect some grammatical errors along the way and some spelling mistakes. Also, this story will be pretty dark. It will contain reallt serious themes but I will try not to make them so OOC.


	2. 01: Find A Bird

Okita Sougo was supposed to be sleeping and having his well-deserved rest, but he was not. Instead of laying comfortably on his _futon_ with his eye-mask, he was currently riding one of Shinsengumi's cars when Yamazaki called him to rush at Snacks Otose (where a fight was being hardly handled by the young man.)

It was already two in the morning and yet Sougo had no sleep yet since yesterday. Being a police man was hard, you see. Every day he arrests criminals and fights bad guys while plotting some plan to kill Hijikata in the process. ("I'm not the one you're supposed to shoot, you brat!" Hijikata shouted when Sougo aimed his bazooka at the man last week.)

"Oi, Yamazaki." The young twenty four-year old police man muttered as he drove. His phone was in speaker mode. From the other line, he could almost hear Yamazaki tremble in fear. "Tell me the whole story."

"Y-yes." The man cleared his throat, "I was patrolling near the Snacks Otose when a loud explosion was heard. I rushed inside to see a young girl standing amidst a pool of blood that was not hers."

"How did you know it was not her blood?"

"She looked unharmed."

"Continue." He ordered sternly.

"I tried to walk near her to ask a few questions but she wouldn't let me. She had a knife with her. She tried to cut me with it! I ordered some of my men with me to stop her reckless actions but she easily defeated all of them by her hands. T-then she walked towards a man laying on the floor. H-he looked dead to me."

Sougo gritted his teeth before ending the call as he was already at the site.

With a calm look etched on his face, Sougo stopped the car and marched towards the shop where a lot of people were seen to be meddling. He heard the words, 'yato' and 'in a chinese dress', and he was suddenly interested. Yatos were normal, he had fought lots of them, and he had won every battle. Yes, yatos were undeniably strong but Sougo was skilled.

The yatos, a part of the Yato clan lead by the great Umibozu, were the strongest and most skilled fighters in the country. They were a gang, an organization that still remains a mystery for everyone. No one knows what their group's mission is, they just randomly appear everywhere and start a ruckus.

"Please step aside, this is Shinsengumi's first division captain." He declared which made the people give him way. The sight before him did not surprise him at all. The door was ruined and a lot of blood were to be seen (some were on the walls). This kind of scene was pretty normal for guys like him. He readied his weapons to fight the yato who he assumed was still inside. With a sigh, he stepped inside and saw something he certainly wasn't expecting to see.

It was a woman with blood in her pale, pale skin. She was holding a man by his collar while her knees were bent. She had blood in her hands and the man looked dead to Sougo. Her body was well developed with strong, flexible, lean, toned muscle. She was wearing a red _cheongsam_ with yellow piping. Her wild vermillion hair was down and untamed. He did not realize he was staring at her until she turned to him and their eyes met. Her eyes were ocean blue. Cerulean eyes met his.

And for a moment, he swore all time ceased to exist. He released a breath he did not know he was holding. Suddenly, Yamazaki walked to him, shaking in absolute fear.

"Okita-taichou," He called, "W-we weren't able to stop her so we called you–"

"I know," He replied calmly, looking away from the girl to see a good look at Yamazaki. He had a couple of wounds on his face and some blood dripping from his mouth, a clear sign that he fought the girl and failed miserably. Well, at least he survived. "Did you call Hijikata-san?"

The young man nodded, "He said he would be here soon."

Sougo pressed his lips into a thin line before once again turning his attention onto the young Yato-girl. She looked younger than him, maybe she was a teenager? He sent her a smirk.

"Oi, China." He stated, giving her a nickname that she obviously did not like when she snarled at him. "Stop what you're doing right now."

The girl stood from the floor before dropping the lifeless man's wrist from her hold. She looked deadly. Her eyes were cold and her face was emotionless, giving Sougo a hard time to decipher what the girl has in her mind.

Sougo's eyes dropped at the younger woman's right hand. Yamazaki was right. She had a knife with her. She clutched onto the knife as if her life depended on it. Her actions confused Sougo, who did not say anything.

He aimed his beloved bazooka at her, making a lot of people gasp in fear. The old woman by the counter, which he assumed was Otose, the owner of the shop, was looking at him with eyes widen in fear. Sougo was used to it, he insisted, he was used to being seen as a monster.

"No need to shoot me." Was what the woman's lips mumbled. Her voice was tiny and soft, Sougo almost let his guard down. "I will be surrendering." And then she dropped her knife before raising both of her hands as an act of giving up.

Hijikata's group came rushing, and Sougo did not know what to feel.

(He saw the young maiden's cold eyes, yet he did not catch a glimpse of her tears when he first saw her.)


	3. 02: Tame The Bird

"WHO THE FUCK ORDERED THESE BOXES OF SUKOMBU?!" Shinsengumi's vice-commander, Toushiro Hijikata's voice rang through his office. His eyes were staring at the boxes of sukombu which he certainly did not knew where it came from. He then turned to the young woman in front of him who just looked away with a tint of blush across her cheeks.

"You said I had one phone call.." She insisted quietly before playing with her fingers. Her hands were handcuffed by Sougo earlier. Now there were five of them at Hijikata's room:

One was, of course, Hijikata, considered as the brains of Shinsengumi and is often called as the demon Vice-commander. The second person was Kondou, who was a tall, muscular man with tan skin, spiky brown hair. He was also the Shinsengumi's commander. The third person was Yamazaki. He looked quite plain compared to more colorful Shinsengumi members. He was also the one who reported the girl to Sougo, who was the fourth person at the room. Okita Sougo appeared to be a mild-featured young man with short light brown hair with jagged bangs and reddish brown eyes.

The last person would be the woman currently being interrogated whose name was still unknown to them.

"Your name?" Hijikata asked as he tapped his ballpoint against his table impatiently. He would deal with the sukombus later. He knew the girl was different and unique but he wasn't aware that she would be this weird.

The girl did not answer.

Now Hijikata was becoming angry. "If I ask for your name, you better answer, you brat—"

"Now, now." Kondo stopped his friend, afraid that he might tarnish the Shinsengumi's reputation by harming and frightening the young girl. "No need for harsh words, Toshi."

Kondo managed to calm Hijikata down. (Before receiving a few curses and tantrums.) The commander sighed before turning to look at the young girl who looked unimpressed and bored. "What's your name, young lady?"

Okita found himself waiting for her to answer. He wondered what the name of the destructive girl was.

After a long silence, she finally answered.

"Kagura. Sakata Kagura."

Sougo furrowed his eyebrows but did not say anything. Sakata? He was confused and surprised that the girl, Kagura, had a last name. She was the first yato to have a last name. All of the yatos that he had encountered had abandoned their family names after joining the organization. For a moment, Sougo wondered if she actually was a member of the said organization. As far as he knew, yatos were pale and had a mark of an umbrella carved in their skin. Sougo found himself staring at her as he searched for the mark. And at her neck, he found it. A mark of a parasol.

Kondo nodded and told Yamazaki to jot it down. "Age?"

"Twenty."

"So." Kondo started, "Why did you kill the man?"

Kagura remained silent, not showing any sign of wanting to answer the question. Her lips opened for a second, as if she wanted to say something, but closed it and remained quiet. Sougo looked at the men with him and realized that only him saw the young girl's hesitation.

"Wait, Kondo-san." All men looked at him when he spoke, "We're still not sure that she was the one who killed the man."

"Yeah, but.."

"I killed him."

Sougo looked at her, everyone did, when she spoke. She faced them, still looking emotionless and cold. Sougo could feel the men beside him shift in their seats, feeling uncomfortable to be with a murderer. Sougo, however, noticed how red her eyes were. As if she just cried.

 _Ah_ , Sougo thought to himself, _what a foolish person._

"Why did you kill him?" Hijikata asked again.

"Vice-commander!" One of Shinsengumi's members opened the door which led to the end of uncomfortable silence. Kagura found herself releasing a sigh of relief no one noticed she was holding. Hijikata looked ready to kill the man who recklessly opened the door who was panting, "A silver-haired samurai is outside!"

Kagura was the first to react. Her jaw dropped in surprise, "Silver?"

Kondo rose from his seat, "Hijikata. Yamazaki. Go with me. We'll deal with the man outside." Then he faced Kagura, "Do you know him?"

"Y-yes." She hesitated answering, looking away from the gorilla-like commander. The three men went out to meet with the samurai, leaving her and Sougo behind.

Sougo, who was starting to get bored, got himself one of sukombu boxes that the girl ordered earlier. He grinned when he saw her glare at him as he munched a few of them.

"These are pretty good," He lied just to get to see her reaction. _What the fuck was this girl's taste? Fucking disgusting._ He thought inwardly before eating another one. He was so going to regret doing this.

But when he saw how she gritted her teeth and how angry she looked, he thought his actions were worth it. It was a shocker for him to see the reckless girl from the shop suddenly become aggravated just because of a food. With a smirk etched on his innocent face, he ate more.

"How fucking dare you? I will fucking cut of your * from your fucking body and feed them to the wildest lions and take your * from your sockets to put them in a blender and feed them to the Shinsengumi along with your *. Just wait and see you fucking brat."

He suddenly had the urge to laugh at her threats that he knew were empty. There was no way a girl like her could actually defeat him. He knew he was a lot stronger than her. Yes, she might be hella mad but he was skilled. However, to say that he was amused by her words was an understatement. He knew the girl would be dauntless, but he never knew her mouth would be this sharp.

"Am I supposed to be scared by that?" He asked sarcastically, "Am I supposed to be intimidated by you? What are you? Twelve?"

"Yes, at the rate of one to ten."

He snorted, "So? Why did you do it?"

Kagura rolled her eyes, getting annoyed at the questions that can't just seem to end. "I told you, I fucking killed him. Can't that information be enough?"

"It's not enough if it's a lie."

He would never forget how innocent she looked like for a second. Her eyes suddenly became wide as she stared at him. Her lips formed a small 'o' to describe how surprised she was at his words. For a moment, she looked like a girl. Just a girl. Just a normal chinese girl. Not the woman he saw earlier with blood in her hands. Not the woman with such cold eyes. Not a yato. For a moment, she looked ordinary.

(However, he missed the hope that gleamed for a second upon the girl's eyes.)


	4. 03: Give It A Name

**Letters written in _italics_ will be flashbacks :) **

"You shouldn't do it again." Gintoki said seriously once he came home with his adopted daughter. Kagura pouted before releasing a breath.

"Do what? Kill?"

"You didn't do it. I know you did not." He said as he made his way inside of their small apartment just above the Snacks Otose that was still being fixed. "Shinpachi and I were worried. Don't lie again to the police just to protect someone."

Memories came to Kagura like an uncontrollable wave from the ocean, drowning her in the process. Kagura looked away, "I wasn't protecting him." Her voice was small and fragile.

"You're obviously protecting your brother. Don't lie." He stressed, "Why do you even protect that son of a bitch?"

 _If I don't,_ she thought, _then who will?_

 _The door opened, revealing a very angry Sakata Gintoki, making Kagura groan from her seat. She was surely going to get beat to death the moment she comes home with her foster father. She was too ashamed to even look at him, at the one who raised her._

 _"What did she do?" Gintoki asked the two officers who entered the room with him, Kondo and Hijikata._

 _The two shared a look before Kondo spoke. "Killed someone."_

 _"My Kagura would never do that." His voice was steady yet obviously furious. Kagura refused to speak a word. Gintoki's reply was done quickly. As if he was not hesitating to defend her. Sometimes, Kagura wondered if she deserved a father like him. Yes, he can be really idiotic and selfish sometimes, but he could also be a great father._

 _Gintoki looked at her. "She's kinda fucked up but she wouldn't kill anyone."_

 _Sougo, who had been silent since the three men entered the room, finally spoke. "Hijikata-san. Kondo-san," he turned to the men who he just called, "There isn't a solid proof that she actually was the one who killed the civilian. No one also came as a witness to say that she killed the man from the shop. It was only Yamazaki's words that we heard. Even the owner of the shop didn't say anything."_

 _"I'd also like to believe that," Kondo stated, "But she already confessed."_

 _"She fucking what?!" Gintoki screamed, looking alarmed. Everyone at the room felt bad for him for being naive. "I told you, she would never kill!"_

 _"She might be lying," Sougo found himself agreeing. He did not know why he was defending the girl. Maybe it was because she truly was innocent, even though she still hasn't admitted it yet? Maybe it was because she really looked pure and impeccable to him? He really did not know, but he was hoping he was doing the right thing._

 _Hijikata looked at him suspiciously, "Sougo. Why are you defending her?"_

 _"I'm not." He was. "I'm just being fair."_

 _"You're never fair."_

 _"Yeah, and you're never understanding." Sougo said, "Just look at it, Hijikata-san. Everyday, we encounter a yato. They fight us, they almost kill us. But this yato is different. She actually surrendered and even gave up her weapon."_

 _"Maybe she was trying to trick us and it's working on you!"_

 _"Maybe you both are idiots who can't get their mouth shut!" Everyone stopped arguing and looked at Kagura who was glaring at them and was positively looking annoyed at the noise. She scoffed, "Yes! I did not fucking kill him. Are you happy now?"_

 _"See? I fucking told you, you tax robbers!"_

 _"Who're you calling tax robbers, huh?"_

 _"Toshi! Calm down!"_

 _Sougo and Kagura looked at the ruckus with their dead-fish eyes._ We don't know them. We don't know them _. Really, they were already old yet they're still childish. Kagura frowned yet felt her lips twitch once she looked away._

 _Sougo, who had seen her smile, smirked as he leaned closer to tease her. "So you fought for your innocence, China."_

 _Kagura glared at him. "I have a name."_

 _"I know. But who said I will use it?"_

 _"Fuck off."_

 _"Oh? Why are you so sour and salty, China? Did eating a huge amount of pickled seaweeds bring you an impact or something?" He snickered, "You are what you eat, you know."_

 _She replied with a snort, "Really? I don't remember seeing you eat a huge dick that made you a fucking dickhead."_

 _Now it was their time to insult each other. Kagura was threatening Sougo that she'll 'beat him up until he can't walk' but his handcuffs were on the way, making the man laugh darkly for her attempts of trying._

 _"That's not the way a young lady should speak to a man," he was using such great force to push his foreheads against each hers, hoping to pain the female. (Who looked barely hurt.)_

 _She pushed harder, "Oh really? I don't really see a man here. I only see an asshole."_

 _"Sougo!"_

 _"Kagura!"_

"The officers will be back tomorrow at our house." He reminded her once he saw her making her way to the closet where she had always slept. He had told her countless times that he could just get her a room for herself but she said she was fine with just the closet. "They'll ask you questions. You're lucky those tax robbers let you go to let you rest."

She changed her clothes to her comfortable clothes and threw the _cheongsam_ that she was wearing earlier to their basket of laundries.

"Mm." She murmured, clearly exhausted. "Goodnight, Gin-chan."

Gintoki muttered a small, 'goodnight' and 'rest well' before going to his own room. Kagura watched him walk before finally closing the door of her closet, giving a picture frame hanging by the wall a glance: it was a picture of her, Gintoki, and one of their friends, Shinpachi, who was like a brother to her.

Once she was already alone, Kagura quickly got her phone to call someone. She searched through her contacts and called a man under the name of 'Kamui'.

It took the man three rings before answering the call. "Kagura."

"Onii-chan." She spoke softly. She hated this. She hated being weak when it comes to her brother. She hated being this frail when it comes to those who she loves. Yes, she was aggresive and feisty, but she was different whenever it comes to those who she values the most. To her family. She'd do _anything_ to protect those who she wants to protect. "I couldn't do it."

"It's fine, Kagura." Yet his voice clearly implied that it was not. "You didn't kill him, anyway. I did."

"What's going to happen now? I think they're going to ask me some things tomorrow."

"I don't care." He answered, "Just don't tell them I killed him."

Kagura nodded before ending the call. Once she was done, she stared at her phone with a smirk and played a recorded exchange. _"It's fine, Kagura."_ Her brother's voice was heard clearly and loudly, she grinned as she continued playing the record. _"You didn't kill him anyway. I did."_

"I got you, idiot." She whispered with a snicker.

( _If I don't save him,_ she thought to herself, _then he better save his ass on his own. Why would he ruin himself after seeing the world get ruined after his eyes?_ )


	5. 04: Make Sure The Bird Knows You

Kagura was wearing her school uniform when she marched towards the living room where Sougo was having a tea with Gintoki. She nodded in acknowledgement at him and he did the same. She took a seat in front of him and told her father that it was fine to leave her alone with him, which he reluctantly did.

Sougo did not realize that he was staring at her. She on her school uniform made her look like a really innocent, fragile kid (which she obviously was not).

"Staring is rude, you know." She commented, looking amused. "You can just take a picture. I'm sure it'll last longer."

"I wasn't staring at you." He lied, tearing his gaze away from her, "Don't flatter yourself, China."

"I can if it's a fact."

 _Damn_ , Sougo thought to himself, slightly irritated, _where the fuck did she learn these comebacks?_

The young police men cleared his throat, "I thought you were twenty. Are you in college?"

"Nope." She answered, "Still in highschool. I stopped studying when I was sixteen. But my _anego_ told me how precious education is so she made me go to school again."

Sougo nodded, taking a sip from his cup of tea.

"Let's start with the questioning, shall we?" He had a sly smile on his face and the look on his eyes that made Kagura sick. She, however, just nodded her head and didn't bother arguing with him. Sougo got his phone from his pocket and started to record their conversation. "Explain me your story."

"The explosion that your man heard wasn't the start of a fight," she answered, pertaining to Yamazaki, "It was the end of it."

"Elaborate."

"It happened around one in the morning. I was having a peaceful snack at Otose's. I ordered my usual sukombu and added some noodles to enjoy since I passed my exams which was an accomplishment for me," He noticed that her cheeks flushed at the confession, shy that she was happy by her achievement. "Then he appeared."

"Who's he?"

He saw Kagura gulp, "My brother. My brother was really destructive and dangerous. After the death of our Mami, he started skipping schools. He started rebelling and being recalcitrant. At first, I didn't really mind. I still had my father with me, anyway. Though Papi is always out while doing some shady-ass business, he usually comes home at least once a month."

"Father's name?" He asked, sipping once again from his cup. He liked that he was learning more from her.

"Umibozu."

Sougo choked on his tea, "What? _The_ Umibozu? You're his daughter?"

"Did I fucking stutter, sadist?"

"Just wasn't expecting to be someone bitchy like you to be his daughter." He shrugged nonchalantly. _Umibozu's daughter, huh? So she's basically one of the most valued member of the Yato-clan, considering she's the daughter of their boss._

She scowled at him, "Should I continue or not? I'm going to be late. Tsukuyo-sensei is going to kill me."

"Continue."

"He started attacking random people. I tried to stop him. I really did, but." A pause, "The next thing I saw was a laying body of a man who I do not know. I tried to check for his pulse, it was faint. I knew I had to help him. But I did not know where to start. I started panicking. I tried to talk to my brother who had the creepiest smile plastered on his face."

Just the description of her brother made Sougo shake in excitement. Her brother would be a great opponent. Sougo imagined how hard her brother's punches would be. How skilled he would be. How worthy of being his opponent he would be. Just the thought of winning against a man like him was already a great attainment.

"He was alone. Usually he has Abuto with him to start some chaotic shit but he was alone that night." She faced him when she noticed that he was starting to get confused, "Abuto and my brother are comrades. Abuto looks out for Kamui and he has a hard time dealing with his obsession for fighting so often scolds him."

"Kamui?"

"That's my brother's name." She replied sheepishly, "I went to check on the civilian who he attacked but discovered that he was really dead. I grabbed one of the knives from the kitchen to hit Kamui with it but the next thing I knew, an explosion was heard and he was gone. That was the moment your men came. They were trying to inject me with something that they say will 'calm me down' but I wasn't an idiot. I know they'll think of me as the murderer. So I tried protecting myself by swinging the knife."

 _And yet,_ Sougo found himself thinking, _you still protected him by lying._

"I see." He said instead, "However, China, there's still no absolute proof that you did not kill him. You do realize that you dug your own grave, don't you? Yes, there is also no evidence that you did murder the guy but—"

"I have it." Her eyes were burning with fury. She was full of determination and he knew, he just knew, that she was going to be passionate about this whole incident. He knew something was bound to happen. Something inevitable. "I have a proof that I'm innocent."

"Show it, then."

She nodded before taking her phone from her skirt's pocket. She then played a familiar record that revealed an exchange that was never supposed to be uncloaked.

"It's fine, Kagura." A gentle yet menacing voice was heard. Gintoki, who was hiding by the kitchen, slowly approached them as he was also starting to get interested by the whole situation. "You didn't kill him, anyway. I did."

Silence. Gintoki was gaping at her, looking betrayed that his daughter didn't tell him she had a plan, while Sougo was looking as if he was thinking deeply about something. Kagura swallowed, hoping that she wasn't going to regret doing this.

"Why did you tell me this?" Sougo inquired. "Aside from wanting to prove that you're innocent, why did you tell me this?"

 _If I won't, then who will? I want to help him. I know, just know, that deep inside of his stupid façade lies the older brother who I used to trust. He's still there. I know he is._

"I want him to be stopped. That's all." She rose from her seat when she glanced at the clock only to see that it was already eleven in the morning. Her classes had already started fifteen minutes ago. She grabbed her bag and patted Gintoki at his shoulder. She looked at Sougo, "If you have any more questions, you can find me here. I will be going now. Let's go."

"Huh?"

"I said," she grabbed him by his wrist to help him stand up, "Let's. Go."

"Do you think I'm going to drive you to school just because my questions made you miss fifteen minutes of your first class?"

She faked a gasp, "Oh! At least you know that you made me late." She remarked sarcastically, "And I don't _think_ you'll drive me to school. I _know_ you will."

Sougo wondered how she knew about it, but said nothing. He faced Gintoki who was looking at him as if he was stealing his daughter away from him. " _Danna_ , I will drive your daughter to school."

"Wait—"

"Bye, Gin-chan!" She sang before disappearing with Sougo, leaving a scowling Gintoki behind.

Sougo and Kagura were greeted by Otae who just came from Snacks Otose. She looked at them with a smile, "Kagura-chan, it's rare to see you with a boy besides Shin-chan and Gin-san. Is he your boyfriend?"

Kagura looked at her in horror, "No!" While Sougo just calmly replied with, "No."

Catherine, who was grooming the door of the shop eyed them both, "Double negative. It's a yes."

"Double negative, my ass!" Otose, who just exited her shop glared at Catherine before hitting her nape. "Go inside and entertain some costumers! And you," she looked at Kagura, "don't do something like that again! Next time you ruin my property, I'm going to kick you and your father out."

Kagura grinned before nodding. She took Sougo's arm and told him to 'drive her like a peasant he is' only to get smacked lightly on her head. He thought she would cruse him to death (which she did) but he did not miss the way she laughed lightly before smiling and looking away.

Kagura was different. That was a fact. She was a yato, a daughter of the great Umibozu yet she is living with a foster father who looked unemployed and irresponsible. Aside from being part of the most dangerous clan, she also has an older brother who seemed to be very obsessed with the idea of fighting and ruining lives. She really was different, Sougo started to think that maybe _she truly was_ dangerous.

But her smile, _damn,_ her smile. It was making him think twice. Though he would never admit it, Sougo found her smile comforting and warm.

(It felt like home.)


	6. 05: But What Happens When It Escapes?

**Thank you for the kind reviews! Every word is very much appreciated.**

Kagura liked being alone.

She liked the peace it always gave her: the cold breeze of the wind, the chirping of the birds, the silence–she liked them all. She also liked solving things on her own. She wasn't fond of the idea of letting someone interfere from her success. Kagura was sure she could do anything even when she's all by herself.

"Kagura-chan," Soyo, one of her closest friends called her name once the school bell rang, signalizing the end of the classes which meant the students were free to go home and do whatever the fuck they wanted. Kagura just finished gathering her things when she flashed her friend a grin. "Are you going home with me? My chauffeur can take you home today!"

Unlike Kagura, Soyo was gifted with a very rich and well-known family. Soyo had all the things that she wanted. But the undeniable fact that she was awfully wealthy did not become a hindrance for Kagura to treat her like a normal girl she was. Maybe that was why Soyo loved her friend so much. Maybe that was why she treasured her. Because Kagura loves her for who she was, not for what she was.

Kagura flashed a sad smile, "Eh. Sorry, Soyo-chan. But I don't think I can make it." Her voice was sincere and she sounded truly apologetic.

Soyo, who had completely understood her friend's words, only nodded her head before saying, "I understand! I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah. I'll see you!" She bid goodbye, assuming that Soyo would take one of their other friends, Nobume instead.

The young vermillion-haired girl exited her school hastily. She was in a hurry but she didn't let it be too shown. Her steps were huge, much bigger than her usual way of walking. She could almost hear her heart's frantic beating from her speed. She headed towards the cemetery where her Mami was buried. At the gate, she sneakily snatched a rose to present her mother's grave. (Actually, the guard noticed it but decided to just not say anything.)

Her mother died from an illness. After her mother, Kouka's unwanted death, Kagura's family started to fall apart. Her father started some shady-ass business that she clearly didn't like. It was an organization she didn't fully understand. Kagura insisted that the very existence of the group was notably unnecessary. It only terrified the innocent people. And though she was not innocent, it terrified her, as well.

("You don't have to leave," she had said when she saw her father packing his things, looking like he didn't care about leaving his children behind. "You don't have to leave for us to be protected." But he never answered.)

After building the organization, the Yato clan, led by her father, Kamui started rebelling against Umibozu. He skipped classes, got into an enormous number of fights, killed, and even started not going home.

("Why," she would always whisper in a fragile tone whenever she sees him coming home late and looking drunk and miserable, "would you ruin yourself after seeing the world crumble after you?" But he would not answer.)

When Kagura turned fifteen, she was told that her father would be finally coming home. She instantly got excited. She had always been alone ever since her mother died. Maybe, she hoped, maybe her family was going to finally reconcile. Maybe there was still a chance for her to reunite the family she once had.

A week had passed and she was sure he was supposed to be already home.

A month had flew after her cerulean eyes and she was started to get worried.

After a year, she was certain she was once again wrong.

("Will I always be wrong?" She remembered asking the white snow falling from the sky. And just like in the past, no one would be there to answer her. She received no answer. And she was convinced no one would ever do.)

Kagura woke herself from the terrible waves of memories she remembered. She felt a small trail of tear travel on her cheek that she wiped harshly using the back of her hand. Once she had reached her mother's grave, she knelt down on her knees to present the flower she stole from the small garden by the gate. She chuckled hoarsely.

"Hi Mami." She said, her voice gentle and soft. With her delicate fingers, she felt the coldness of her mother's tombstone against her skin. Smiling bitterly, she continued, "I miss you."

"Kamui's still the same. I haven't seen him for a long time now. I talk to him through phone, yes, but still, it feels weird." She admitted, suddenly feeling her face get flustered, "I kind of miss him. But I know making him come back will be quite tricky."

"Gin-chan's taking care of me just right. Yeah, I admit, he can be idiotic and childish sometimes, but he's also a great father." She said, thinking about the man with silver perms, "I'm glad I have him. Aside from a father, I also have a friend that's like a brother of mine. He's named Shinpachi. He's two years older than me. He wears a glasses that, well, don't ever tell him I told you this, okay? The truth is, his glasses actually suit him."

Chats with her mother had always calmed her down. It reminded her of the lullabies she always sang to her when she was still a kid. It felt like heaven, an absolute bliss.

Once she had stopped talking, she stood up and admired the sunset for a few minutes before sighing to herself. When she turned around after muttering a small 'i'll see you soon' to her mother, she saw Shinpachi waiting for her, also still dressed in his school uniform. He had a gentle smile on his face that felt like coming home to her. He felt like everything Kamui was supposed to be.

"How long have you been there, glasses?" She asked, slightly worried that he had heard her confessions.

Shinpachi gave her a frown, "Mou, why is it always my glasses?" He asked before saying, "I just came here. I visited my father's grave a while ago and happened to see you here. I thought that we could go to Gin-chan together."

Shinpachi lived with his older sister, Shimura Otae after his parents' death. However, whenever he has the time, he goes to Gintoki to do some odd jobs. They take requests from costumers and do their very best to fulfill them. Though the both of them never actually get paid, the company of each other was more than enough. (The three of them would never admit that, though). They express their love for each other by insults and constant nagging that roughly translates to 'i love you so you better take care of your fucking self'

Kagura glanced at her mother before walking ahead the boy with glasses, making Shinpachi laugh a little. The boy gave his final respects to Kagura's mother before walking with her.

"Kagura-chan," Shinpachi called once they were out of the cemetery. "Did you hear that?" He asked, looking wary yet also nervous. Kagura noticed how he shifted glances around the area, clearly stating how cautious he was.

The girl only furrowed her eyebrows, "What are you talking a—" she stopped her question when they heard a shriek of a woman who was sounding terrified. Kagura immediately followed where the voice came from, not even bothering to think twice, leaving Shinpachi behind.

"Kagura-chan!"

Shinpachi didn't know if he should hate or like this side of hers: always being ready to save others. He didn't like how selfless she could be. He knew that one day Kagura would choose to save somebody else's life before saving hers. He didn't like that side of hers. However, the thought of having a very heroic sister like her makes him fanboy and shake in excitement. The fact that Kagura had a friendly heart somehow... worried him.

Muttering a short curse, Shinpachi decided to follow her, and the next thing he knew, he was already in a dark and narrow alleyway where a lot of thugs were present. They seemed to be bullying a girl in a wheelchair who looked hopeless and notably weak. Kagura was in front of her, protecting her from the group of bastards who, Shinpachi assumed, was trying to take away the sick girl's things. Even without having to look at him, Kagura knew her friend was already at the scene.

"Pattsuan! Call the Shinsengumi," hesitating, Shinpachi nodded and decided to obey her order. Kagura was strong, he believed that. He had faith in her. He ran away fast and told himself countless times not to look back for soon, everything would be fine.

(Oh. If only he knew.)


	7. 06: Make Sure It Won't Escape Again

Okita Sougo was busy staring at the pictures taken where he first saw Kagura at the Snacks Otose. He was analyzing them thoughtfully, looking ridiculously serious. He was searching for a clue, or at least something that could lead them to Kagura's older brother, yet he was already failing. Kamui left no trace of his arrival and exit, Sougo was actually starting to wonder if Kagura was telling them the truth. However, he scolded himself every time he doubted the girl's words. Still, he believed that Kagura was, indeed, innocent.

Kondo, who had been staring at him for a while, gave him a grin. It had been a long time since he saw Sougo actually working hard and doing his job. Somehow, Kondo felt like tearing up, he felt like seeing his son have a character development.

"Oh.. you're finally not slacking off! Good job, Sougo! I knew you could do it." He said, giggling a bit. But then stopped as he realized something, "Don't tell me you.."

Sougo's breathing hitched.

"...are interested in Yatos?"

He let out a sigh of relief he didn't realize he was holding. Jesus. Why was Kondo-san like this? Sougo just grimaced and continued what he was doing earlier.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Hijikata came into the room, looking furious as hell. He immediately glared at Sougo who was concentrating, "Who the fuck drew a dick on my forehead when I was fucking sleeping?!"

"Doesn't your face always look like that?" Sougo asked in an innocent voice.

Hijikata charged at him as he tried to throw his subordinate a punch which Sougo easily dodged. Kondo only frowned before deciding to take a walk. And by taking a walk, he meant taking pictures of Otae secretly.

That was, until Shimura Shinpachi, Otae's beloved younger brother barged into their room, looking flustered and breathless. His arrival caused an ending to Hijikata's and Sougo's bickering and only looked at him with curious eyes. Sougo, meanwhile, looked like he didn't care. He just went back to his desk and resumed examining the photos.

"Oh! My brother-in-law, Shinpachi-kun!" Kondo greeted, sending him a wink. Shinpachi let it slide for the mean time, making the rest of them observe him. Normally, the glasses-boy would exclaim words that would insult Kondo as he was strongly against the idea of his sister being in a relationship with the gorilla-looking chief. However, this time, he looked like he didn't care and had much more important things in mind. Kondo frowned at him, "Shinpachi-kun, what's wrong?"

"Kagura-chan has—" Sougo, who had been looking uninterested since Shinpachi came, teared his eyes away from his work and suddenly started to pay attention, "—been involved into a fight. We need to help her! She had a woman in a wheelchair with her! She was trying to protect the woman from those thugs but I'm scared that she might get beaten up since the men looked like," he gulped for a while, catching his breath, "members of the yato clan."

Hijikata sighed as he lit his cigarette, "Oh? Interesting." And Kondo found himself nodding, agreeing with his comrade. Kondo had known Shinpachi and his sister for quite some time now, but he never knew that he was actually _friends_ with the wild and daring young woman. It sure was interesting. Their actions only made Shinpachi mad.

"There isn't anything interesting about this!" Shinpachi yelled, glaring at the older man, "Kagura could get beaten up, killed or abducted by those yatos and yet you're saying this whole case is interesting?! Kagura isn't a mere object for you guys to just brush off! Just because she's strong doesn't mean she's already unbeatable!"

 _She's still a girl,_ he said to himself.

Sougo suddenly stood up, surprising the three men. He looked at them and in a monotone voice, he said, "Come on. We have a job to do, Kondo-san. Hijibaka-san." And then he left to ride one of Shinsengumi's cars.

Hijikata blew smoke from his mouth and dropped his cigarette before stepping on it, "Sougo... Something's odd with that boy today."

Kondo only told him, "At least he's now doing his job."

The men followed Sougo who sat beside the driver's seat while Kondo drove. Sougo glanced at Shinpachi who was looking anxious as he sat next to Hijikata. Sougo wondered what his relationship to Kagura was. He sure sounded worried for her. It irritated Sougo and he didn't know why.

"Tell us the directions, Shinpachi." Kondo told the boy who nodded at him before directing them to the alleyway where Shinpachi last saw Kagura. The Shinsengumi didn't have the time to discuss the incident nor ask for more informations from the boy as they were already at the scene. All men immediately exited the car to walk towards the narrow passage.

"Oi Sougo isn't that—" Hijikata's eyes went wide when they saw Okita Mitsuba, Sougo's ill sister, being protected by Kagura from some group of bullies who looked weird and odd. Both women looked like they weren't hurt at all, but still, the thought of someone _attacking_ his older sister made Sougo furious. She was the only family that he has left. He didn't want to lose her, too. Sougo's fist clenched at the scene before stepping ahead of all of them. "Wait, Sougo—"

"This is the Shinsengumi. Stop what you're doing right now." He ordered calmly yet his heart was burning in absolute fury. He had always been this sensitive and caring when it comes to his sister, you see. Mitsuba was not really healthy and she was awfully sick. Sougo knew that she would be visiting their parents' grave alone but he certainly wasn't expecting this.

Mitsuba looked at his younger brother with fear evident in her eyes. She looked helpless, Hijikata sighed before pulling her away from the scene. At the other hand, Kagura looked unharmed. She didn't have any wounds with her nor any signs of her getting physically hurt. Her face looked emotionless and numb whilst her eyes were looking stoic. Sougo wondered what caused her to make this solemn face that he didn't like. Was it because of the thugs? No. it was surely more than those men. Meanwhile, the group of men looked fucking horrible.

Sougo suddenly felt nostalgic. Those eyes. They were the same eyes that he saw when they first met each other. However, this time, it felt a lot colder and apathetic.

"Kagura-chan!" Shinpachi exclaimed as he approached her. Kondo started walking towards the group of dangerous-looking men to arrest them while Hijikata assisted Mitsuba to go inside of the car. Kagura watched as the policemen did their jobs. She released a shaky breath she hated to have revealed. She was staring at the two men who she had encountered and were being dragged by Kondo. She couldn't help but notice the mark of a parasol carved on their necks.

Yatos, huh? Kagura remained silent, drowning in her own deep thoughts. She was thinking that _maybe_ her brother might be involved in this incident but also decided to be more cautious about her thoughts.

"Oi, China." She blinked and turned to Sougo who was looking curious yet bored. She raised a brow at him which was quite disappointing since Sougo was expecting for her to give a nasty comment about her unwanted nickname. Still, he continued talking as he tried to ignore the itch that his body was feeling when he saw Shinpachi with her. "What the fuck happened and why were you with my sister?"

"Sister?" She paused, "Ah. So that was your sister. Don't worry, I didn't do anything bad to her. I just helped her."

"Don't fucking do it again, then." _Because I felt weird. I suddenly felt weird when I saw you with my sister. It made my heart flutter and I didn't like it. I'm not supposed to be like this._ "Don't act like a hero."

She let out a snort, "Is that what you say when people saves your loved one's ass when they're in a pinch? Impressive."

Shinpachi tried to interfere and stop their fight but stopped when he realized the fight was actually serious and heated. He was actually surprised that Kagura, their Kagura, was also taking him seriously. Normally, she would just let this kind of arrogance slide by throwing some punches or some random insults or just merely walk away but she was actually entertaining the guy.

"I did not ask for your help," Sougo replied, trying his best not to regret his choice of words. _She's just a girl,_ he tried to convince himself.

Kagura pressed her lips into a thin line, "Then it's settled. I won't get myself tangled in your mess anymore." She said as she turned to Shinpachi. "Let's go home, glasses. I'm starving."

 _They live together?_

"Oi. Sougo, let's go back at the headquarters. Mitsuba said she'll explain everything. And you," Hijikata called before pointing at Kagura who stopped walking when she heard the old man call her, "Thank you for saving Okita's sister. You can go home today. But don't forget that you're—"

"—still a criminal." She finished for him as she turned to them with a tired smile on her face, "Still a killer, I know."

Silence had took over them when Kagura spoke. Mitsuba was eyeing them, curious about the whole incident with the girl still in her school uniform. But what interested her the most was Sougo's stare at the girl who looked unaware of it.

"Quit your dramatic lines, China."

Sougo wanted to think. He thought of anything that he could say to comfort the girl who was usually childish and excited almost at all times. He had realized that the eyes of hers that he saw earlier were indeed different. After all, instead of looking cold, her eyes actually looked sad and lonely. He wanted to think of anything that could bring her comfort. He wanted to keep his façade. But he was already saying something.

Kagura scowled at him, "What the fuck are you talking about, Sadist?"

"You're going to be alright, you know." He assured her, rolling his eyes. "Shinsengumi never fails."

(Heh. It sounded more like he was assuring himself, though.)


	8. 07: (PART 1) How To Save A Life

**Hi there! Really, thank you for all your kind words and reviews!! I never thought people would actually read this shit lol. Anyway, this update will just be the first part of the seventh chapter since I decided to cut it in two halves. Enjoy! （）**

Kagura had just turned sixteen when Gintoki saved her from some members of the yato-clan who had kidnapped her to use her strength to make money. It was because she was exceptionally strong, they said, it was because she was the daughter of Umibozu. She didn't know where Gintoki fucking came from but apparently, some concerned citizen who saw her being forced to do such acts reported them to the Yorozuya where Gintoki works. He accepts requests that he tries to fulfill with the help of Shinpachi.

When Gintoki learned that her father was Umibozu, he didn't seem to care. No, he did looked like he cared, but he seemed more worried than interested. He showed no interest towards her blood, it was notable, Gintoki was already strong, he needed no yato like her.

When Shinpachi suggested for Gintoki and him to make sure Kagura gets home safely, the girl was hesitant to agree. She lived alone in a very messy apartment which she couldn't even have the time to clean. She was a little ashamed to let others see where she lived. However, when Shinpachi looked genuinely concerned for her, she decided to just agree as long as they won't say anything.

("Wow, what the fuck. And I thought my apartment was messy." Gintoki had exclaimed when they reached Kagura's house. Shinpachi scolded him for being insensitive and apologized to Kagura for him who just forced a smile, saying she was already used to those kinds of comments.)

After a few chats, Kagura walked them to the door and bid them goodbye. Unknown to her, Gintoki was already planning to adopt her and treat her like his very own daughter.

("That girl," Gintoki muttered as he looked at the crescent moon above them. Shinpachi remained quiet as they walked in silence. "She's lonely.")

"Kagura-chan?" Her beloved anego called her once she entered the Snacks Otose where Kagura was currently enjoying her sake. There weren't many costumers present, it was already two in the morning, anyway. Gintoki was already sleeping and Shinpachi had already left to go home. She must admit, Kagura was surprised to see Otae still awake and on top of that, she was there with her, at Snacks Otose. She had thought of hiding her alcohol and the empty bottles laid in the counter ahead of her but didn't do it since Otae already saw her drinking, anyway. "It's rare for you to get drunk. Is there a problem?"

"Nothing, anego."

It was a lie, of course. Kagura knew damn well something was wrong, she just wouldn't admit it. She hated dragging people into her mess.

Otae stared at her for a while before giving her a gentle smile which Kagura loved. She sat next to the younger girl and ordered a bottle of her own, making Otose grumble in annoyance, saying she was supposed to be closed by now. She did give Otae a bottle, though.

"Is it because of your brother?"

Kagura did not reply. And in her silence, Otae found her answer. "He'll come back soon. Surely."

"I don't know, anego." The younger girl confessed as she drank another bottle of sake in one gulping, she released a sigh as her cheeks reddened from being a little too drunk, "I really want to save him but how? How can I rescue a person who doesn't want to be saved?"

Otae let out a laugh, "You can't save people, Kagura-chan."

She looked at her older sister, confused. She had stopped drinking for a while and just stared at Otae who was looking calm and reserved as she stared at her own bottle of alcohol.

"You stand by their side as they save theirselves."


	9. 07: (PART 2) How To Save A Life

When she had come home from school earlier than usual, Kagura was surprised to see her Gin-chan waiting for her as he sat on one of their couches. He looked serious and emotionless that it actually made Kagura nervous. Shinpachi was also nowhere to be seen. Normally, the boy would be at the apartment to cook some food for the three of them to enjoy. Also, Gintoki never fucking waits for her. Unless he's up into some shady shit.

Gulping anxiously, Kagura removed her shoes and walked barefooted towards her foster father. "Gin-chan. Is something wrong?"

His silence intimidated her. After a few moment, she heard him sigh before bringing out a letter to put in on their mini coffee table. Kagura eyes the paper curiously, wondering what might be the reason why her Gin-chan was acting weird because of a mere paper.

"It's a letter from Umibozu." Kagura froze from her spot. Unable to think. Unable to feel. Her knees felt weak that she had to cling onto the nearest thing by her for support. "He wants to take you home."

Home? Kagura wanted to laugh. Being with that baldy didn't feel like home at all. She had lost that a long time ago, ever since her mother died. Ever since her father started to become distant towards her. Ever since her brother became a fucking murderer. She had lost everything that she valued, everything that she had. And now.. now that she was finally actually living, she was going to be taken away from the family who had taught her that life isn't just about surviving? No. She couldn't allow that. She wouldn't let that happen.

"I'm planning to let you go."

That was where Kagura snapped. She looked at Gintoki, she could feel her eyes burn from the sting her unwanted tears brought. They were going to fall recklessly and she knew that. But she didn't want to look weak in front of Gintoki. She didn't want to still be considered as a little girl that she used to be. She wanted to be seen as a woman capable of deciding things in her own. She wanted to be free.

But not from this home. Never from this home.

"Gin-chan," she almost begged when he stood up as he made his way towards the kitchen, leaving Kagura and the letter behind. Kagura glanced at him before taking the paper and read the words written on it. The penmanship was shit.

 _Sakata Gintoki,_

 _I know already that you're taking care of my daughter for the past four years without me knowing. Sakata-san, you know well that you could get arrested for this, don't you? Adopting children just because they were looking helpless isn't an excuse to kidnap them. I hope you keep that in mind._

 _However, I will be more than willing to let this slide if you take my daughter to me. The next words written will be my address. I will be waiting until next week. And if you don't bring her to me, you know what'll happen next._

Kagura's eyes were blurry. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't see well. All she saw was pure darkness.

The same thing that she saw when her family left her alone to die on her own.

"You better pack your things." She turned to Gintoki when she heard his cold and monotone voice. She couldn't look at him. Looking him would only hurt her. Would only give her more pain. "You have to be with me tomorrow. I'll take you there."

She wanted to stay. She didn't want to leave the family that made her feel... that made her feel. That made her whole again. The family that made her feel alive again.

But if staying with them would only ruin their lives... She clenched her fists before nodding unwillingly. She turned her back against him and let the tears fall freely from her eyes. She didn't bother saying goodbye to him, Kagura just walked away and allowed herself to get some fresh air from outside. Wiping her tears away, she put on her shoes and shut the door behind her.

"Oi. Kagura," Catherine had greeted when she saw the younger girl crying, "What the fuck are you crying for? You look fucking hideous."

"None of your business, ugly." She muttered under her breath before walking away to go towards the nearest place that she could ever think of; the park.

Catherine tried to call her again but Otose stopped her. The old landlady looked at her with concern on her eyes as she blew some smoke from her mouth. "Ah. That girl's doing it again."

"It? What do you mean?"

"Running away."

Kagura managed to ignore the weird looks and stares she received before finally arriving at the park. There weren't a lot of people present. It was already sunset. People were probably on their way home already. It's a good thing, though. At least no one would see her look like a fucking weakling she was.

Making her way to the nearest bench, Kagura sat on it and rested her back on its backrest. She let out a sob she had been holding since she left the house. She raised her right hand and placed it on top of her face where her arm could cover her weeping eyes. She could feel her warm tears against her skin yet she didn't bother to mind.

"That fucking baldy." She ranted, "I'll kill him."

"Oi. China." A familiar voice taunted her, "What're you doing?"

She glared at the last person who she wanted to see, Okita Sougo, the man who irritates her the most. He was wearing his uniform and his usual annoying deadpan look.

"What the fuck do you think? Are you blind?"

"Not really. Just never expected a monster like you to cry."

"I'm destructive, not a robot." She responded as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?"

"Sleeping," he answered as he sat by her side. He sighed as he stared at the orange sky, "So? What's wrong, China?" He wanted to slap himself and commit seppuku with his choice of words that made him look like he was worried for her, when in fact, he was not.

(He was.)

"None of your business."

"It is my business!" He snapped, as he looked at her. "You woke me up. It's your fault those sobs of yours were loud!"

"Is it my fault that you were slacking off instead of doing your fucking job like any other police officer should, huh?!"

And so the usual fighting began. Sougo threw a few punches and Kagura did the same. Both barely dodged each other's attacks.

For a moment. Even just for a while; Kagura felt fine.

("Ah. How dangerous..." A man with vermillion locks smirked as he watched the two bicker and fight mercilessly against each other. He was hiding in a place where he was sure no one would be able to see him. He mused, "...to finally have something worth losing.")


	10. 08: The Lost Rabbit

Kagura never told him what was wrong. She felt like it wouldn't be right to easily tell him her secrets. She wasn't the type of person who would easily reveal some things to her rival. It seemed like he got a clue and never asked her again. So when they stopped fighting as they were too exhausted to continue, she laid on the grass as she stared at the sunset at the sky. And though she didn't look, she knew her rival was beside her, doing the same.

"How's the investigation?" Kagura asked.

Sougo glanced at her, "We caught some photos in the place where it happened. Apparently, your brother's a sneaky bastard who's great at hiding things." He remarked, making Kagura laugh. He wasn't meant to make her laugh, but he was glad he did.

"Should I call him now?" She joked, which was of course, impossible. Kagura had tried calling Kamui again after she revealed her exchange with him. However, he never answered any of her calls.

Maybe he was running a bath? And by bath, she meant a fucking bloodbath. Maybe he knew that she already confessed to the authorities? Maybe he just broke his fucking phone? She did not know.

She heard Sougo sigh beside her, "It's beautiful." She didn't expect Sougo to be quite fond of the sunset. She smirked as she continued observing how orange the sky was and how freely the birds flew. She was never fond of the sunset. Yes, she had admired it before. But somehow, this time, the feeling of comfort that she felt was better than the ones she had felt before.

Maybe it was because she had someone with her.

"Yeah," she found herself agreeing with him, gently smiling as she adored the sky, "It's beautiful."

(But Sougo was staring at her.)

Kagura went home safely that day. With a contented smile etched on her face.

When she had stopped on their apartment's door, Kagura snickered to herself. If someone was watching her, she would look like a kid who had just talked to her crush. Her grin was huge. It was as huge as Kamui's fucking ego.

"That guy definitely likes me. How annoying..." She muttered as she finally opened the door, revealing the last person she wanted to see. Out of complete shock and utter anger, she gaped at the figure in front of her.

Meanwhile, Sougo was busy patrolling when he saw a very strange man. Yeah, he decided to finally do his job and patrol decently. Not that because China told him to or anything, though. The man had a well-built body and wore a pair of combat boots that covered most of his body. His hair was brown and his eyes were black. Sougo narrowed his eyes when he saw a mark on his neck. A parasol. _Just like Kagura's._

 _Are you fucking kidding me? Why are there so many yatos nowadays?_ Sougo wanted to punch the nearest pole next to him out of pure frustration but refrained himself.

He was about to leave the place where he saw the old yato but stopped when he heard his chat with a younger man with a bandage covering his forehead and left eye. Sougo could practically hear how sinister he was from his voice.

"That Kamui. Where's he?" He asked making Sougo widen his eyes. _Kamui? Isn't that China's brother?_

"Ah." The older man replied, "He's visiting his sister."

And those words were enough to make Sougo sprint like a fucking madman.

Kagura couldn't speak even though she wanted to. She remained frozen on her position. She swore she felt her heart stop beating for a second. She felt a sudden gush of air leave her body. For a moment, she felt _dead_.

Kamui grinned at his little sister. A grin that wad cheerful yet eerie. The grin that Kagura hated. " _Imouto_ -chan, can't you at least give your brother a hug?"

Kagura, who had just recovered from her shock, answered. "Where's Gin-chan?" She asked when she realized that her foster father was nowhere to be seen.

Despite still feeling a little upset at him, there was no denying that she was worried for him. She will never be able to forgive herself if something bad happens to Gintoki because of her. She was tired of it. Tired of being a nuisance to the person who took care of her when she couldn't even look after herself.

"Ah," Kamui said, "Don't worry, Imouto. That old perm wasn't here when I arrived. I'm assuming he's out, so I wasn't really able to give him a beating." He had said casually as if running a bloodbath was fucking casual. When it fact, it shouldn't be.

After a deafening silence, Kagura was given a chance to look at her older brother carefully. It had been a fews days since she last saw him. It was when her brother killed a civilian. Kamui and Kagura almost shared the same appearance: Vermillion hair, blue eyes. They were similar yet also deeply different from one another.

To say that Kagura was confused would be an understatement. She didn't understand why her brother had to be... _like this_. She didn't understand why her brother suddenly changed. The death of their mother was devastating, but she wasn't expecting her brother to be this devastated. She wasn't expecting him to be this ruined.

Kagura didn't know what to feel. She was confused. Furious. She was tired. She felt really tired. But above all, she felt bad for her brother.

(She wished he didn't run away.)

"What are you doing here?" She finally managed to say after a long pause. With determination in her eyes, she hoped she was doing the right thing.

Kamui looked unfazed, "Just visiting."

"You? Visiting? Don't make me laugh." She remarked sarcastically, "What do you want?"

"You."

And in a blink of an eye, a punch was suddenly thrown at her, making Kagura scream in agony. _Fucking hell. He was strong._ Kagura could see his grin from the corner of her eyes. Using all the strength she could muster, Kagura had managed to stop the second punch her brother was supposed to throw at her, kicking his stomach in the process. Her kick had sent him flying away from her, giving her a little time to recover.

Kamui's body remained standing, he was smiling. "I'm impressed, Kagura. You're now getting stronger."

Kagura spat blood on the floor, wishing that Gintoki wouldn't see it when he comes home. Where was her father, anyway? Was he eating a fuckton parfaits again? Fuck. He would kill her if she destroyed his beloved appliances.

"I saw the letter. Umibozu's going to take you, huh?"

The younger girl smirked as she felt the taste of her own blood kiss her lips, "As if I'd let that happen."

Kamui let out a laugh before attacking her again. This time, successfully and a lot stronger, Kagura bit her lip to surpass a scream that she didn't really like releasing. She had let a yell earlier already, she wasn't going to let that happen again. Kamui had kicked her in the guts, Kagura let out a huge amount of blood from her mouth. Her body fell on the floor, her eyes almost closing. She could feel her brother's gaze above her. Her brother's cold icy gaze.

 _No_.

This wasn't her brother anymore. That stare wasn't her brother's anymore.

It was a stare of a killer.

Kagura gasped in shock when Kamui set his foot on her stomach with such strong force. She gripped on his leg to stop him from going further. Because she knew if he did, she would hella die.

Kamui's smile never left his face. He finally removed his foot from her stomach and instead leaned forward to grip on her throat as he choked her. Kagura refused to scream. Kagura wasn't going to scream. Even at her battle, she valued her pride so much. _Damn, Gin-chan was going to be proud of her._

"Give up, Kagura." She knew damn well it wasn't a request but an order. Still, she sent him a smirk. Just to piss him off. Because if she was going to die now, pissing him off would be the last thing she'd want to do before she dies.

"No," she had managed to say in a croaky voice, " _You_ give up." She said before clashing her forehead against his, making him let go of her neck. Kagura touched her bruised neck for a second before looking completely pissed off.

When she had found Kamui just beside their television while coughing blood, she ran towards him before getting the nearest sharp object to slash his face. It was a fucking ballpoint. Her actions weren't as strong as his but she was glad she at least managed to give him a wound. Her brother opened his eyes before attacking her once again only to be stopped by a certain voice from outside.

"This is the Shinsengumi. Stop what you're doing right now."

Kagura stopped, but Kamui did not. When he saw his younger sister glance at the door to see three armed policemen, he grinned before grabbing her head from the top to knock her out, making Kagura finally scream in pain when her face touched the wooden floor's hard surface.

And her scream only made Sougo flinch. He froze on his spot as he was not expecting to see the girl in this state. She looked fragile. She looked hurt. She looked like a _girl_. Like a normal girl who is also capable of being broken. A sudden urge to kill was what he felt. Grabbing his bazooka to rest it on his shoulder, the young policemen aimed it at the criminal without any hesitation.

"Sougo!" Hijikata yelled, looking alarmed. "Don't shoot!"

"Sougo!" He could hear both Kondo and Hijikata scream, yet all he heard was Kagura's. He had fired the bazooka directed at the older brother of the girl. He could hear the people around him cough and the furnitures getting broken. From outside, he could also hear the shout of people and Otose's. When the smoke finally disappeared, he _froze_ and felt his heart stop beating.

Because despite being badly injured and almost looking dead, Kagura was still standing and was in front of her brother who was as shocked as him. Her blood was everywhere. Her eyes were slowly closing, but still, she stood up with a small smile etched on her face.

She took the blow that was originally aimed for her brother, and suddenly, Kamui did not know what to feel when he saw her sister's body fall before his blue eyes.

Hijikata and the others could only say nothing, not even realizing that Sougo _failed_ to shoot her, and had only shot the wall of the apartment. And that her fall and huge amount of blood was only because of Kamui's attacks before they came.

Kamui did not know what to feel. She was dead. She was _finally_ dead, but why was he not happy? He was supposed to be joyful. He was supposed to be victorious had he had _won._ But why did it feel like he had lost?

He touched her skin carefully and caressed her bruises with his shaking hands. His eyes stung at the tears he knew he wasn't supposed to have. His lips trembled at the sight before him. His sister was _there._ Laying in front of him while looking pale and lifeless. All because of him.

Sougo's response was immediate. He had ran towards her and carefully grabbed her body to let her head rest on his lap. His heart was beating frantically, he could almost hear its beating from his chest. He was anxious and afraid. "Oi. China. China." He was almost begging. And he never begs. "Kagura!"

"Call.." Kondo stuttered when he came to her aid, quickly checking for her pulse that was faint. "Toshi! Call an ambulance! She's alive. Hurry!"

Hijikata obeyed him. Panicking, he had called an ambulance from his cellphone. Meanwhile, an old woman was to be seen staring at the scene worriedly. Her hands held to the door tightly. It was Otose. Their landlady. She had known Kagura ever since the young girl came with Gintoki. And though their bond wasn't strong, she still cared for the younger girl.

"Help's coming soon." Hijikata announced.

"I'm going to call Gintoki." Otose said, managing not to stutter. "That girl. She's going to be okay, right?"

Although Kondo did not exactly know the answer to the landlady's question, he nodded, hoping that he'll be right.

(Her breathing was ragged and weak, but it was there. _She_ was there. She was _still_ there. And that was all that mattered.)


	11. 09: Life Can Be Unfair Sometimes

When Gintoki received a call from Otose, he felt like he couldn't breathe. Which was strange. He knew he was diabetic and was possibly mentally ill because of his crazy ass attitude but he was sure he never had problems with his lungs nor with his heart. He was sure he was fine.

Yet when he had heard that Kagura. _Kagura_. The girl who he adopted four years ago. The girl who's very reckless and fearless yet also very tender _was in danger._ When he had heard that his daughter was in danger, he suddenly felt like he was _dead_.

He had immediately stood up from his seat, confusing the man in front of him, Umibozu. You see, the thing is, Kagura's biological father had called Gintoki awhile ago when the younger girl had ran away. Apparently, Umibozu wanted to have a tea with the one who 'kidnapped' her daughter to say a few things. And by those he meant several threats and a fuckton of confrontation.

("I did _not_ kidnap your daughter," Gintoki had insisted when Umibozu started insulting him and the way he had raised Kagura, "You abandoned her to die alone.")

The older man placed his cup of tea on their table as he furrowed his eye brows at the silver-haired man. Confusion written all over his face. Despite still being mad at Gintoki, he couldn't deny the sudden worry that he felt when Gintoki had dropped his phone on the ground while looking completely paralyzed.

"Did something happen?"

"K-Kagura..." He had heard him mutter before sprinting away from the place where they had their tea. Umibozu, alarmed by the way the kidnapper of her daughter said her name, had no choice but to follow him as he was curious and, though he wouldn't admit it, _scared_.

When Gintoki finally arrived at the hospital he was surprised to see three tax robbers and one of them looking fucking horrible as if he was already mourning over the death of a certain someone. Otose was also there. Everyone was at the hallway, waiting for a certain vermillion haired girl to come out of the room where she's currently being healed. If it was a normal day, Gintoki would have teased the young man for looking utterly anxious and pale. Sougo's eyes looked lifeless yet also frightened, if it was a normal day, Gintoki would have mocked him. If it was a normal day, laughter would be heard.

But it wasn't. It wasn't an ordinary day.

" _What did you do to my daughter_?!" He had suddenly yelled, completely ignoring the troubled nurses and other patients among them. Hijikata tried to calm him down while Kondo walked towards Umibozu restlessly. Umibozu didn't know that her daughter was there, _dying_. But somehow, he felt it. He felt that something was wrong. His heart suddenly sank and he could feel his back getting heavy.

"Her father's here, huh?" The chief mumbled under his breath. With a forced smile on his face, he greeted the leader of the Yato clan, "Umibozu-san. Can I please talk to you?"

"Is _my_ Kagura," He suddenly asked, completely ignoring the request. His voice was shaking. His eyes were fixed on the door of the emergency room where Kagura was being assisted, "there?"

"Y-yes."

Umibozu let out a sigh. He was looking stressed and tired. He didn't know what to feel, but he was sure he was scared. That was certain. He was scared for the young daughter of his.

"Let's talk outside, then." And he disappeared with Kondo, glancing one last time at the door of the emergency room.

"What the fuck happened?" Gintoki asked once again. He looked mad as hell, even Sougo couldn't utter a single word. The silver-haired man looked around the area. Shinpachi was there with Otae, both looking nervous and scared for the young woman they clearly care for. It took Gintoki a while to finally notice Kamui. Kamui was sitting on the corner. His lips were trembling and tears were to be seen falling freely on his face. He seemed... _different_. Different from the cold hearted bastard Gintoki had always seen. Now, he looked like a child.

 _Like a brother_.

Gintoki let out a sharp breath, "If that son of a bitch is the fucking reason, I swear—" He already knew, actually. He already knew that Kamui was the reason why Kagura got beaten up. However, deep inside, he still denied that fact. When silence greeted him, he snarled at the older brother of his daughter. He marched towards him without thinking clearly and grabbed him by his collar, "I'll fucking kill you."

Hijikata was the first to react. He immediately pulled Gintoki away from the younger boy to calm him down. Kondo, who had just came back with Umibozu, took care of Kamui and led him to one of Shinsengumi's cars. Sougo, on the other hand, had given Kondo some handcuffs to use with the criminal. As much as he wanted to beat the little shit and the reason why Kagura was still unconscious, Sougo tried to stay calm. He really did. So whenever Kamui gets near him, he avoids his gaze so that he wouldn't lose his cool.

"That girl.." Otose suddenly said, earning everyone's attention, "She's going to be fine. She's been through a lot. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"After this, I'll take Kagura with me." Umibozu announced, looking at Gintoki. This time, his voice was gentler and calmer. Unlike the threats that he had written on his letter, now his words were softer. It sounded like his intentions were for the better. "I will take my child with me."

Silence greeted him. Gintoki wanted to say a lot of things, to be honest. He wanted to yell at the biological father of his daughter but he was stopping himself from doing so. Gintoki knew Umibozu had the rights to claim his daughter away from him.

But still, it _hurt_.

Gintoki had took care of Kagura ever since she was saved by him. Gintoki treated her like a daughter of his own. Sure, they bickered a lot, but the bond that they had would always be irreplaceable.

He had found himself nodding. Shinpachi let out a loud 'You can't just do that!' before being comforted by his older sister. Clearly, he cherished Kagura as well like a sister. Despite getting bullied by the vermillion-haired girl, there was no denying that they both still treasured and loved each other like a family.

"Oi Sougo," Hijikata suddenly said, glancing at his subordinate, "You need to go home. Your sister's probably waiting for you. We'll take care of the things here."

Sougo was about to say something but Gintoki cut him off.

"No, you won't." He said seriously, "The Shinsengumi can go home. You have Kamui now, right? He's the only thing that you need from us. Leave. We don't want you coming near Kagura again after this."

"That's cruel, danna." Sougo remarked, hiding the pain that he was feeling on his sarcastic voice, "We're the ones who brought her here."

"That's your job, you damn brat!" He yelled, "If only you arrived sooner, Kagura wouldn't end up like this!"

"What did you say?!" Hijikata shouted, "It's not our fault we couldn't stop that twisted brain of her brother! Is it our fault that the little shit was psychotic, huh?!"

"Oi! Both of you, stop it!"

Everyone tried to stop the fight of the two idiots, even the nurses tried to calm them down but the force both guys had was keeping them from putting an end to the fight successfully.

Otose sighed as she huffed smoke from her pipe. Umibozu was beside her, leaning against the cold wall of the hospital solemnly. So this is China's father, huh?

"She's going to be fine. She's a strong girl."

Umibozu nodded, "I believe she is."

When the doctor that was assigned to treat Kagura came out of the room, everyone stopped the chaos they made and felt like time had stopped.

"H-how is she?" Gintoki was the first one to react, dropping Hijikata's collar from his grasp.

Sougo was quiet but was hopeful that she was fine. He knew that Kagura was strong but he also knew that just like any other human, she also had her limitation.

"She's fine," the doctor announced with a gentle smile plastered on his face, "Her wounds were quite a handful for us to treat but we managed to save her. She will be transferred to a regular room and is expected to be unconscious for days, though. But she's quickly recovering."

(Sougo let out a sigh of relief he didn't realize he was holding.)


	12. 10: What Is It Like To Hope?

Sougo had never been in love before.

He'd like to think that he wasn't in love with Kagura. That was a fact. They had just met and there was no way in hell he was going to fall for someone easily since he was kinda clueless about these kind of things.

But there was no denying that he was attracted to her. Even though he didn't want to be. Even though he knew liking her would be dangerous as hell, he still did.

If he was going to describe Kagura in one word, it would be awesome. She was awesome. She was breathtakingly fearless and brave. Her cold eyes are intimidating yet she has a warm heart that could melt any barrier of any kind. Even she had managed to break his. Her smile was rare and exquisite. She was beautiful.

It has been exactly a week since Kagura was taken to the hospital. She still hasn't awoken and there was no sigh of hope in her body. She looked like as if she was already dead. But the doctor had said that she was fine, and so albeit it was risky, Sougo hoped. Sougo hoped that she really was fine.

Sougo wasn't the type of person with hope in his heart. The word itself was foreign on his tongue. It was as if he wasn't familiar with it. It was as if he never had it. The only hope that he had was Mitsuba, but ever since they had learned that she was severely ill, he had lost it.

Yet when he had laid his eyes on Kagura, there was a spark on his heart, a gentle breeze inside of it, and he had suddenly felt a familiar comfort that he had once lost when he saw his world crumble before his eyes—he has hope again.

The Shinsengumi would always assign a certain man to secure Kagura's security. Gintoki was reluctant about the idea. He didn't really want to have Shinsengumi in their lives again after the incident. If possible, he'd like to part ways with the men, but since they were so persistent about the idea, he agreed. Umibozu had said that he would like to move his daughter in a more modern and well-known hospital since they were awfully rich, but since he was still under the hands of Shinsengumi, the police officers didn't agree. Yes, Umibozu's 'shady-ass business' (according to Kagura) was being investigated by the Shinsengumi. Sougo was the one who proposed the idea, thinking that it would be what Kagura would like to happen.

And as for Kamui... that idiotic brother of hers was also under Shinsengumi's care. He's being interrogated and prisoned in their headquarters. Although he refuses to talk every time he gets to be asked about his murder and crimes, the Shinsengumi's officers were still very devoted to their jobs and never gave up. They had also discovered that Kamui had two allies, Abuto and Takasugi. Both also refuses to utter a single word. However, the older one, Abuto, looked sincerely worried about his boss and his boss' sister. Among the three of them, he seemed to be the kindest one.

Today, Okita Sougo was assigned to look after Kagura. He was currently outside of her room, carrying a basket of fruits, just like the usual. It wasn't his first time to look after her, he had done it several times and would sometimes get jealous whenever someone else gets tasked to take care of Kagura's security.

The basket of fruits had been laying around on his apartment. He was getting ready for this day and had bought the basket yesterday. He stopped by the headquarters earlier to glance at Kamui who, as usual, was just staring blankly at the wall of his cell. His eyes looking dull and lifeless. Sougo almost pitied him. Almost. But then he would remember how cruel Kamui was to Kagura, and his blood would immediately boil and he would have a hard time controlling himself from beating the shit out of him.

When he had opened the door, he almost fainted. Kagura was there. Sitting. Staring at the window as if nothing had happened to her. Her wounds have already healed but some bruises and bandages were still on her. She might have noticed Sougo's presence so she took a peek at him and — to Sougo's surprise — smiled gently.

He felt like he couldn't breath. His heart stopped beating for a second or two, and he was sure of that. He almost dropped the basket in his hand and fortunately did not. He opened his mouth and looked like he had something to say but he couldn't say a single word.

"Do you like me that much?" She smirked at him, "What, you're just gonna stare at me while looking like shit?"

Ah, yes. Now that was Kagura.

Sougo gulped and closed the door behind him, "You're already awake."

"No shit, Sougo." She replied and looked at the basket on his hand, "Wah! Is that mine? Please tell me it's mine. I'm fucking starving."

"Your mouth's as insolent as always," he muttered before walking toward her. He grabbed the stool near her bed and sat there. He placed the basket at the table beside her bed. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Sougo, I'm literally covered in bandages, do I look like unharmed, son?"

"Still a fucking bitch, huh? You're fine then."

"What did you say, you asshole?!" She was about to punch him in his face when she stopped to wince when she felt a pang on her chest, startling Sougo. He didn't bother to cover the concern he had for the girl and had immediately assisted her when she coughed violently.

"I'm going to call a nurse. Since when have you been awake, anyway?"

"Huuuh?! I've already been awake last night. When Gin-chan and Yamazaki was here." She said as she regained her posture. She looked at him, "And don't call a nurse! They're troublesome, anyway."

Sougo suddenly felt betrayed but did not say anything. Needless to say, Yamazaki was going to fucking die tonight.

"I'm still going to call one." He insisted since he was getting worried for her.

She snarled at him, "Fucking hell, can't you listen to me for once, Sadist?"

"No." He felt his fists being clenched, his voice was monotone and it was certain that he was mad about something, "Why did you do that?"

"Do what? Wake up? Is living a sin now?"

He was getting more irritated of the fact that she was faking her grin, when in fact, she was hurt.

"Save your brother."

There was a moment of silence before Kagura looked away, for a split second, she looked so innocent. So fragile. So frail.

"My anego had told me that I can't save people from their misery," she began, "but if I can save my brother from a hit, then I don't see any reason why I shouldn't do that."

"Do you love him that much?" He found himself asking, "He beat you up." He said the word 'beat' as if he despised it. He almost cringed at the word. It only reminded him of Kagura's sight when she was covered on her own pool of blood. Kagura's wounds. Kagura's lifeless body. Kagura's shattered bones. _Kagura_. It reminded him of Kagura.

"Aside from my father, he's my only family." He noticed how she clutched on her white blanket, "He's still family."

"Even when he almost killed you?"

She smiled, "Even when he almost killed me."

After a few exchange of words, Sougo left the room to inform the nurse about Kagura's little problem earlier and had complained why Kagura was starving so much and why she looked so skinny, completely concerned about her health. Sougo had requested for the nurses to bring her lots of food to eat so that she could recover quickly. The nurses had to agree quickly as they were afraid of the deadly aura Sougo was emitting.

Sougo walked on the hallway with a gentle smile on his face. It was the smile that he never thought he could have. Funny that a mere girl could make him smile like that. He stood at the door of Kagura and was about to open it when he heard his phone buzz, revealing a call from Hijikata. He had to quickly answer it because of the strange looks the other patients were giving him when they heard Sougo's ringtone a.k.a a song that chants ' _die-Hijikata-you-fucking-asshole-die'_

"What is it, Hijibaka-san?" He answered in his usual monotone voice. He temporarily leaned against the wall beside the door and decided to enter Kagura's room after the call.

"It's Hijikata, you fucking brat!" Hijikata yelled from the other line. Sougo rolled his eyes and heard the vice-commander cough on the other line, "Anyway, we have a huge problem, Sougo."

"What is it?"

"...Kamui is missing."

Sougo's eyes widened and suddenly became anxious. He dropped the call without saying anything and proceeded to open Kagura's room, only to see it empty with its bed an untouched fruit, messy white sheets and opened window.


	13. 11: The Lonely Rabbit

**Hello! I'm extremely sorry for the hiatus I had and not updating for, like, a week. I had to do a lot of projects and paper works so I didn't have the time to properly write a chapter. Anyway, I'm really sorry. Also, I've read the last chapter that I wrote and noticed a lot of typos, I apologize for having them as well.**

 **Here's a new chapter. Thank you for waiting and for your kind reviews!! We're already near the ending of this fanfic. Enjoy reading.**

To say that Sougo was surprised would be a complete understatement. He had ordered earlier the whole Shinsengumi to find both Kamui and Kagura, terrified that her brother might have escaped his cell to hit his sister again. They had searched for quite some time. Almost an hour. And there she was — Kagura was eating inside of a mini-store of her favorite sukonbu, while looking like a missing child.

Sougo sighed in relief but he was also feeling mad. He was more relieved that mad, though. He wiped some of his sweat from his temple with his handkerchief and approached the lady who seemed unaware of his presence.

"Oi. China."

He saw her jump slightly from her seat. Probably surprised by the sudden voice. She turned to him as she bit her snack, "Oh. It's just you."

Sougo glanced at the lady who he assumed was the owner of the store and gave her some of his money as a payment of Kagura's meal. She was still dressed in her hospital gown and he was sure she had no money with her. He didn't wait for his change and dragged Kagura away from the store, making her drop some of her snacks. She had shouted and thrashed around his grasp but he paid no mind and continued holding her wrist a little too tightly.

"You fucking sadist, you're—" _hurting me_ , —"being a bitch!"

Because Kagura loved her pride more than anyone else, she decided not to admit that his touch was hurting her wrist. When he didn't answer and just continued walking to drag her away from the store and get to her back to the hospital, she stopped following him which made him stop to. Finally fed up with his cruel treatment, she violently shook her arm away from him, hissing in the process.

"Didn't you hear me?" She asked, looking utterly pissed, "Have you gone deaf, asshole? Have you gone deaf?"

He didn't reply. His eyes refused to meet hers.

"Hey Sadist—" She took a deep breath, "— _Okita Sougo!"_

He flinched at the sound of her voice calling his name and looked at her briefly. His fists were clenched and his throat suddenly went dry, as if his own body had betrayed him and also refused to talk. He swallowed.

"What were you thinking?" Before he knew it, he was already ranting, not caring about what she'll think about his bluntness. "Why did you run away from the hospital? Your room was at the second floor, _Kagura_! Your wounds still haven't healed completely and you still have bruises on your body. Did you think you were that strong? Did you really have to escape? If you don't want me to look after you, then just say so! I-it's not like I care about you or anything!"

"Oh my God," she exclaimed sarcastically, "What are you, a tsundere?" She wanted to laugh so hard but when he flashed her an annoyed glare and seriousness in his eyes, she realized this wasn't the right time for her to tease him.

Oh fuck it. Every time was a right time to tease the police officer.

He sighed, "Let's take you back to the hospital." Good thing he brought one of the Shinsengumi's cars with him.

She nodded but did not say anything. When he extended his arm to once again hold her, she cringed and looked away, not bothering to accept it. She felt like she would burn if she accepted it. She didn't know why, but she just felt it. Sparks. Fire. Excitement. She felt it when he touched her. She felt it when he was near.

He makes her feel... _He makes her feel._ And she didn't like it. Not one bit.

The journey to the hospital was annoyingly silent. Both knew the atmosphere was already awkward, and not wanting to worsen the awkwardness any further, both remained quiet.

Until Okita Sougo spoke.

"What were you doing there?"

Her reply was done quickly, "Nothing special." Her answer was executed hastily that she was almost breathless. Sougo eyed her suspiciously. Her face flushed, "Idiot, eyes on the fucking road!"

Sougo grunted before tearing his stare away from her, still not satisfied with the answer he received. It was obvious China was hiding something.

"How about you tell me the truth?"

"How about you stop asking annoying questions?"

"Can you, for once, stop being a whiny bitch and just answer my questions?" He exploded as he drove. Kagura glared at him, fighting the urge to punch his guts since she was just right beside him.

Kagura sighed from her seat, "The hospital said they didn't have sukonbu so I bought some for my own."

As if he'd believe that stinky lie. He remained silent and continued driving until they both reached the hospital where the whole family of Kagura was waiting.

And by family, I meant a really concered Gintoki who immediately hugged Kagura as Sougo walked her by the hallway, a wailing Otae who was asking her a lot of questions (Shinpachi had to calm his sister down). Otose was there. She was smoking on her pipe with a small smile on her face. Even the Shinsengumi's vice commander was there. Hijikata looked at Sougo with a glint of proudness in his eyes.

"Kamui's been brought back," Kagura heard Hijikata tell Sougo amidst the commotion. She remained silent and listened clandestinely to the conversation, "He surrendered, and is now being interrogated by Kondo. I heard he's now answering his questions. I don't know what made him change his mind, but I'm glad he did. Must be doing it for his sister."

Kagura smiled fondly as she remembered the real reason why she left earlier. Warmth creeping in her heart.

 _When Sougo left her room to call a nurse, Kagura grinned and enthusiastically held the basket, grabbing an apple in the process. She was about to bite it when a small paper caught her attention. Her cerulean eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the messy handwriting written on it. Slowly dropping the fruit by her hands, she felt her hands shaken, and took the paper to read it._

 _Meet me at the bridge near your hospital. I'll be waiting._

 _\- Kamui._

 _Silly Kamui. Even without his name, she would recognize his shitty-ass penmanship. Kagura panicked when she sensed Okita's presence just behind her room's door. She quickly removed the wires placed onto her and held to the nearest table to support her weight. She placed the letter in her pocket._

 _She sighed in relief when no one came. Glancing at the door, she knew Okita was there. She muttered a small apology and jumped right out of the window, never once looking back._

 _When she arrived at the bridge, Kamui was already there. His eyes fixed on the lake below. He was wearing the clothes that he had when he 'visited' her. She ignored the sudden discomfort that she felt and approached him._

 _"Onii-chan."_

 _He turned to her, a little surprise by the way she called him. He grinned and ruffled her hair as if nothing ever happened. As if she never almost died. As if he never almost killed her. Kagura didn't know if she liked it or not._

 _"Do you want to grab some food? Let's talk."_

 _Food? Kagura eyed him suspiciously while he just cocked his head innocently. With a sigh, she nodded and lead him the way to the sukonbu store where she often stayed before._

 _Kamui ordered nothing while Kagura ate a lot. There was no costumer present in the store and so they had the area all by theirselves. Kamui watched his little sister eat hungrily, secretly pissed that she looked so hungry and assumed that she wasn't being fed well._

 _"How could you eat like that with me?" He had found himself asking. She dropped the sukonbu pack in her hand, suddenly losing her appetite with his question._

 _She glanced at him, "Why wouldn't I? It's free food."_

 _"I almost killed you, Kagura."_

 _The store lady shuddered but didn't say anything, afraid that Kamui might notice her fear. She wasn't really fond of their weird conversation._

 _Kagura nodded, "Well, I attacked you too."_

 _"You only attacked me to defend yourself."_

 _"Look, onii-chan," she said, turning to him, "Let's just forget about the incident and surrender to the Shinsengumi. I will support you, anyway. The wounds that you gave me are nothing compared to the pain I have felt when you left me alone." She said truthfully, "I'm fine, Kamui."_

 _"Will you ever," he cursed himself for stuttering, "will you ever forgive me?"_

 _Kagura felt tears on her eyes, threatening to fall and travel along her cheeks. When she saw how Kamui was also feeling the same. Fighting the same tears. She wanted to look strong. She wanted to look strong for him. She didn't want to be weak anymore. She didn't want to look fragile anymore._

 _And when he had asked his question, she knew she would have a hard time answering it, because she had knew so damn well that she had already forgiven him long ago._

 _"I'll be going now," Kamui had said, rosing from his seat. He looked at the store lady and smiled. It wasn't the menacing smile that he always had. His smile was genuine and real. "Don't worry about the payment. Someone will definitely come for her here."_

 _Kagura wanted to say something, but chose not to. Instead, she just watched her big brother leave, just like he always did. But this time, she let a small contented smile creep on her face._

 _This time, she knew everything will be fine._


	14. 12: Father

It had been a long time since Kagura had seen her father. When she saw him again, she couldn't help but flinch. The painful memories that she had been trying to forget had effortlessly grew back on her mind — reminding her how weak she was. How fragile, how hurt she was.

Calm down, she reminded herself, you will be fine.

Only the two of them were in the room. Accompanied by the sounds of the air-conditioner that was keeping the room cold. Gintoki was the one who told Kagura that she should go and talk to her father, to which she reluctantly agrees. It was because she knew. She already did. That after talking to her father, she would be leaving soon. She would be going with him, even if it's against her will.

"How are you feeling?" His voice tore her away from her thoughts. Kagura looked at him, not bothering to cover the discomfort she was feeling.

After a long silence, she finally replied. Her voice was controlled. Steady.

"I'm fine."

"That's good, then." Umibozu looked like he was having a hard time to come up with a sentence to say. "You have your mother's eyes."

Kagura snorted, a little taken back from her father's words. Her mother's eyes were _teal_. Hers was cerulean.

"Is this slowly turning to H*rry P*tter?"

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you, Kagura."

"I know, and I'm trying to avoid it."

Kagura let out a sharp breath. Needless to say, her conversation with her father was going be very awkward. She wondered what was happening outside of her room, where Gintoki and the others were waiting and probably fooling around.

"You don't have to worry too much, Patchi-boy." Gintoki said as he watched Shinpachi sweat nervously and walk frantically by Kagura's door. He was biting his nails anxiously while muttering something about Kagura and him worrying about Umibozu's presence. Gintoki sighed and picked his nose. "Our Kagura is a strong girl. She can handle him."

"But Gin-san—!" He shrieked, "—The man inside of her room abandoned her years ago! He had already hurt her before, what if she gets hurt again?!"

"Calm down, Shinpachi." Okita said, glancing at the door. A stern expression plastered on his face.

"Okita-san, you do realize that your grip on your sword is terribly tight, right? You do realize that you're currently trembling, right? Oki— Wait, Okita-san, you can't do that!" Shinpachi yelled when he saw the police man try to open the door, he pulled him away from Kagura's room. " _You're_ the one who needs to calm down!"

"But China!" He knew about Kagura's past with her father. How could he not worry?

Hijikata blew smoke from his mouth, "Calm down, Sougo. She'll be fine. She's like a monster." He said, making both Gintoki and Sougo glare at him.

"Oi. Are you calling my daughter a monster, huh?!"

"Gin-san, stop!"

"Only I am allowed to call her that, Hijibaka-san."

"Okita-san, not you, too!"

"Ara, Souchiro-kun, what did you say about only you being allowed to call my daughter a certain nickname, huh?"

"Gin-san!"

Their brawl was stopped when Umibozu suddenly walked out from the door, a soft smile plastered on his face. And at the sight of his smile, both Gintoki's and Sougo's heart dropped. His smile only meant one thing — he had managed to get Kagura go with him.

The Shinsengumi's interrogations with the said man was already over. He had confessed his crimes and had vowed to start a new life. He wasn't given a proper reason to be jailed and was also told to pay a huge amout of fine since he didn't really kill anyone and it was only his men who did most of the crimes. All Umibozu did was that he founded a very dangerous organization. The bald father had also told the officers everything about his business — their secret locations, their allies, their plans. _Everything_.

Umibozu turned to Gintoki, "She wants to talk to you," and then to Sougo, "but you. We'll talk."

The young policeman felt shivers down his spine but did not say anything. Instead, he nodded and went with the older man outside, leaving Hijikata, Shinpachi and Gintoki behind.

The silver-haired man coughed, "I feel bad for him."

"Me too." Hijikata sighed, "Your daughter's calling for you."

"Yeah. I know." He bit his lower lip, feeling slightly nervous, before going inside Kagura's room, revealing the vermillion-haired girl with the brightest smile inside.

Her eyes twinkled, and her smile was beaming. "Gin-chan! We haven't seen each other for a while, but you already look like an old geezer!"

"Y-yo Kagura.." Gintoki closed the door behind him, giving Hijikata and Shinpachi his middle finger when he heard them snicker at Kagura's remark. He turned to the girl before glaring at her, "What was that for?!"

She feigned innocence. "Eh? I was only stating my opinion."

"Opinion, my ass! You were completely dissing me!"

The female laughed, as if admitting that she was, indeed, insulting him. Gintoki frowned but remained silent at the sound of her laughter.

She had _grown_. She was no longer a child. And he didn't know is he should be proud or terrified of that fact.

"I heard you're going with your father... after this."

Her wince went unnoticed by the older man. She nodded. "Yup! I want to reconcile with him."

"That's... good."

Sincerely, he felt good for his foster daughter who he had witnessed fall apart because of her family's tragedy. She was abandoned and had no choice but to live by herself until he had found her. Ever since their encounter, he had treasured her as if she was his own blood. As if she was his own daughter.

That was why he was happy for her happiness, but still, he couldn't help but worry.

He was aware that her relationship with Umibozu and Kamui was quite... unusual. That was why he was concerned. He didn't want to see her get hurt again.

(And he would miss her, of course.)

"Don't worry, Gin-chan." Her voice tore him away from his thoughts. He hadn't realized that he had stopped talking and just stared into nothingness as he thought about his daughter. Kagura's smile was soft, her cerulean eyes were inviting. "I will be fine."

"You better be." He finally managed to say, "You better be."

 _Silly Gin-chan._ Of course she would be.

Truth is, she was concerned about him too. She had always been the one to tuck him on his futon whenever he goes home drunk. Who will now give that idiot a hand whenever he comes home awfully drunk, too tired to even walk to his own room? Who will now take care of his ass whenever he can't even look after himself?

She didn't really know, but for now, she wanted to leave her doubts to fate.

"You're the best father I never had." Kagura grinned, dissing Umibozu and completely forgetting about her biological father's existence. Gintoki snorted at her words, letting himself finally smile.

 _What are you talking about, you brat? You've always had me._


End file.
